Tuesday, August 11, 2009

2 steps forward, one step backward.

I know most of you are just getting acquainted and here I am forging ahead. The thing is, I sew what I have an interest in, and I do it step by step ( in most cases, sew 2 seams, unpick 1) until I'm finished. I don't keep a stash of patterns or fabric. I start a project, I work my way though it, and then I finish it. I choose my next project, buy the fabric and start all over again. So you see, now I've started this jacket I have to work to the end.

I did manage to make up the side seams by stealing the inside facing. I even managed to make them match! I put in my princess seam darts and then followed through with a tuck to the pocket. I'm being humbled by this process: I used to mock faux anything. I've now got a faux princess tuck, and I'm contemplating faux pockets, by running my trim from the corner of one (pre-existing welt pocket) to the other edge in a curve like a tidy wee Chanel patch pocket. What's the world coming to!

Because of all my tight cutting I fused the entire front and back with interfacing - and used fusible interfacing for the facings and collars. It's just not strong enough though, the collar's not sitting well through the roll line and I think it's because the undercollar isn't supporting the collar enough. I am now going to go back and herringbone stitch (catch stitch) in some hair canvas. That's a good evening in front of the telly.

I've just pinned my black retro buttons on to see how they look. Sometimes houndstooth can look dangerously like clown suit fabric and I was worried by how round and shiny these buttons are, but I think they're OK. Won't be accesorizing this with a plastic red nose though, and my shoes will be not be large and pointy.

Refashioning a jacket is much much harder work than sewing a new one from scratch. Just thought I'd put that out there for my sew along buddies who are also refashioning something. Mind you, I think I'm the only one who's taken a jacket that was too small and tried to refashion it larger.

Oh and here's the original for you to compare my progress. In case you are thinking it looks too nice to be cut up, let me say that this jacket had shoulder pads to rival a grid iron player. It was more 80's than Dynasty.

6 comments:

I agree that it's harder to refashion than to sew one up from scratch. It's looking so much better, though. I'm not a fan of the 80's fashions and the big shoulder pads; although I used to love those big shoulder pads and those fashions when it was the 80's. I look back now and think huh-uh. My kids laugh at old pictures. I had the big full permed hair. They think it's so funny.

Is your sewing process (no stashes, go from start to finish) something you have disciplined yourself to do over time, or is it just how you have always naturally worked? It sounds pretty amazing, albeit unnatural for me. LOL The Chanel-style is looking good! Nice work getting that side insert with the pattern matched up!

Oh wow, that is coming along fantastically (new word, just for you, lol). I think the buttons look great, not clownish at all, but skipping the red cardboard nose is probably a good idea none the less. Looking forward to seeing more...